Sanitary telephone device



Dec. 9, 1930. c, R 1,784,700

SANI TARY TELEPHONE DEVI CE Filed Aug. 29, 1929 INVENTOR ATTORNEY WNESS: ga

Patented Dec. 9, 1930 CARL MILLER, or relax, QY.

SANITARY mammoth nEvroE Application filed August-29,1929 seria n basazsa This invention relates to improvements in sanitary attachments for the mouthpieces of telephones, and its leading object is to provide an absorbent carrier for a vaporizing disinfectant as a resilient attaching ring, which can be snapped directly over the mouth piece of a telephone, without requiring its removal, and without influencing the action of the telephone transmitter.

' Other objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter specifically pointed out, or will become apparent, as the specification proceeds.

With the above indicated objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel constructions and combinations and arrangement of parts, clearly described inthe following specification and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which latter show an embodiment of the invention as at present preferred.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a view of the attachment applied to a telephone mouthpiece, shown inperspective.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the attachment. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale, showing a connecting means for the ends of the spring coil.

ignates an attachment consisting of a coil of spring wire forming an open tube. The

spiral ends of this coil aresprung over the ends of the smaller coil 6, which is formed as one end of the coil 5.

This smaller coil 6 is designed to'provide a concealed coupling for the ends of the coil 5, and "also provide means for increasing and decreasing the tensional grip of the annular spring device around the mouthpiece A of the telephone transmitter B.

Within the tubular coil 5 an annular absorbent member or wick 7 is arranged. This member may be formed of any absorbent woven material, or otherwise, and is charged with a disinfectant material, preferably liquid, which will emit a vapor for some time.

This attachment is forced over the mouth 5: piece A, so that the spring coil will grip the ,orring.

v 1 The ring of. absorbent materlal 1s spaced v Referring to the drawings in detail, 5 desbase of hetmouthpiece, which is inthexform' ofa cone.+ :i; 1:. 1" r v Tn-this combination the base of the mouthpiece is formed with radially spaced open ingsgAa, :which'are approximately as deep as the widthor: thickness ofzthe attachment, so

thatawfree flowiof 'vapor from the disinfec- "tant into the speaking'chamber of the mouth- ;piecewill'take place. I T J v ,w-i'The position-of the attachment on .the V 1 inouthpiece'is easily changed byturning the attachment abo.ut:.the umouthpiecei This makes itrseasy to adjustpthe attachment, to prevent the. liquid disinfectant from settling in the lower part of the absorbent member 5 somewhat from the outer surface of theturns ofthe coils, and this arrangement serves to maintain the absorbent wick material from direct contaict, 'with' the hands of any person using the telephone, who might carelessly finger the device.

The whole attachment can be made to sell atan insignificant price, and can be applied without skill or directions, so that wide public need will be served by it. V The spring coil also serves to retain the mouthpiece connected to the transmitter,

since the inner end of the mouthpiece is split L30 and has a tendency to expand, under the manual handling which takes place when persons using the. telephone play with the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece also tends to loosen when the telephone is lifted and dropped 5 upon a table or support.

By keeping the mouthpiece tight on the front of the transmitter vibration of the mouthpiece is prevented during conversation over the line.

The hereinbefore described construction admits of considerable modifications without departing from the invention; therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the precise arrangements shown and described, which are, i

as aforesaid, by way of illustration merely. In other words, the scope of protection contemplated is to be taken solely from the appended claims, interpreted as broadly as is consistent with the prior art.

I claim as new a 1. The combination with a telephone transmitter having a mouthpiece of conical shape provided with openings near the base thereof, of an annular ring of spring Wire coiled to form a tubular structure and adapt ed to be snapped. over the mouthpiece and to grip the base thereof, said ring havin an other ring of absorbent material encosed thereby and chargeable with a vaporizable disinfectant, the vapor emitted by a ring-so charged being adapted to penetrate into the V mouthpiece through said base openings;

2. The combination Withv a v telephone transmitter having a mouthpiece of conical shape provided with openingsnear the base thereof, of an annular ring of spring wire coiled toform a tubular structure and adapted'to be snapped over the mouthpiece and to grip the base thereof, said ring having another ring of absorbent material enclosed thereby and chargeable with a vaporizable disinfectant, the vapor-emitted by: a ring so charged being adapted to penetrate int'o'the mouthpiece through said base openings, and a spring coil Within the first springcoil and enclosing the ring of absorbent material, the turns of thefirst spring coil being spaced apart and forming an open structure and the turns of the second named: coil being in con.- tact'with each other, the ends of the first named coil being coupled to the ends of the i A second named coiL I r In testimony whereof I herebyaifix my signature i CARL MILLER.- 

